On-line betting game

Abstract

The game is implemented by means of a computer system that comprising at least one terminal suitable for presenting data to a player and for enabling the player to provide parameters to the system; and a game site coupled to each terminal. The game comprises the following sequence of successive steps: a) presenting the player with a plurality of N competitor-elements forming a predefined set, the competitor-elements being suitable for being classified as a whole in an ordered list that can be determined after some future event has occurred; b) asking the player to select one of the N competitor-elements as a reference element; and c) asking the player to select one of the N−1 remaining competitor-elements as a competitor-element, with the player forecasting that it is to have a relative rank in the classification that is higher, or respectively lower, than that of the reference element; to the exclusion of forecasting the winning competitor-elements that will present the highest absolute ranks after classification has occurred; and after the future event has occurred: d) if the relative rank of the competitor-element is higher, or respectively lower, than that of the reference element, calculating a winning score and allocating the score to the player.

1 . An on-line betting game implemented by means of a computer system that comprises:
 at least one terminal suitable for presenting data to a player and for enabling the player to provide parameters to the system; and   a game site coupled to each terminal; and   the game comprising the following sequence of successive steps:   a) presenting the player with a plurality of N competitor-elements forming a predefined set, the competitor-elements being suitable for being classified as a whole in an ordered list that can be determined after some future event has occurred;   b) asking the player to select one of the N competitor-elements as a reference element; and   c) asking the player to select one of the N−1 remaining competitor-elements as a competitor-element, with the player forecasting that it is to have a relative rank in the classification that is higher, or respectively lower, than that of the reference element; to the exclusion of forecasting the winning competitor-elements that will present the highest absolute ranks after classification has occurred;   
       and after the future event has occurred:
 d) if the relative rank of the competitor-element is higher, or respectively lower, than that of the reference element, calculating a winning score and allocating the score to the player. 
 
     
     
         2 . The game of  claim 1 , wherein the winning score calculated in step d) is an inverse function of the difference between the rank of the competitor-element and the rank of the reference element. 
     
     
         3 . The game of  claim 1 , wherein the winning score is allocated to the player solely if the ranks of the competitor-element and of the reference element are consecutive. 
     
     
         4 . An on-line betting game implemented by means of a computer system that comprises:
 at least one terminal suitable for presenting data to a player and for enabling the player to provide parameters to the system; and   a game site coupled to each terminal; and   the game comprising the following sequence of successive steps:   a) presenting the player with a plurality of N competitor-elements forming a predefined set, the competitor-elements being suitable for being classified as a whole in an ordered list that can be determined after some future event has occurred;   b) asking the player to select one of the N competitor-elements as a reference element; and   c) asking the player to select one of the N−1 remaining competitor-elements as a first competitor-element, with the player forecasting that it is to have a relative rank in the classification that is higher than that of the reference element;   d) asking the player to select one of the N−2 remaining competitor-elements as a second competitor-element, with the player forecasting that it is to have a relative rank in the classification that is lower than that of the reference element;   
       to the exclusion of forecasting the winning competitor-elements that will present the highest absolute ranks after classification has occurred; 
       and after the future event has occurred:
 e) calculating a winning score and allocating this score to the player if: 1) the rank of the first competitor-element is higher than that of the reference element; and 2) the rank of the second competitor-element is lower than that of the reference element. 
 
     
     
         5 . The game of  claim 4 , wherein the winning score calculated in step e) is an inverse function: 1) of the difference between the rank of the first competitor-element and the rank of the reference element; and 2) of the difference between the rank of the second competitor-element and the rank of the reference element. 
     
     
         6 . The game of  claim 4 , wherein the winning score is calculated and allocated to the player only if, in addition: 1) the rank of the first competitor-element and of the reference element are consecutive; and 2) the ranks of the second competitor-element and of the reference element are also consecutive. 
     
     
         7 . The game of  claim 4 , further including the following steps:
 in steps c) and d):
 c1) also asking the player to select one of the N−3 remaining competitor-elements as a third competitor-element, for which the player forecasts that it will have a relative rank in the classification that is higher than that of the first competitor-element; 
 d1) asking the player to select one of the remaining N−4 competitor-elements as a fourth competitor-element, that the player forecasts will have a relative rank in the classification that is lower than that of the second competitor-element; and 
   in step e):
 calculating a winning score and allocating it to the player if, in addition: 3) the relative rank of the third competitor-element is higher than that of the first competitor-element; and 4) the relative rank of the fourth competitor-element is lower than that of the second competitor-element. 
   
     
     
         8 . The game of  claim 4 , wherein a subsidiary winning score is allocated to the player if the respective rank of the first competitor-element, the second competitor-element, and the reference element are consecutive, but without the right placings. 
     
     
         9 . The game of  claim 4 , wherein:
 steps c1) and d1) are iterated at least one additional time with successive remaining competitor-elements; and   in step e), the winning score is calculated and allocated to the player if, in addition: 5) the relative ranks of the competitor-elements selected during these iterations are progressively higher; and 6) the relative ranks of the competitor-elements selected during these iterations are progressively lower.   
     
     
         10 . The game of  claim 4 , wherein the elements are programs broadcast simultaneously on respective television channels, and said predefined criterion is the audience rating achieved by each of the channels while broadcasting said programs. 
     
     
         11 . The game of  claim 4 , wherein the elements are sporting teams playing in a given category, and said predefined criterion is the classification obtained by each of the teams in said category at the end of a series of competitions. 
     
     
         12 . The game of  claim 4 , wherein the elements are securities listed on the same market, and said predefined criterion is the mark of each of the securities at a predetermined moment. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein steps b) to d) are implemented via a graphics interface having a series of fields displayed on a screen of the terminal, these fields being movable by controlled action of the player so as to cause them to be dragged across the screen and form a stack that is representative of the player's choice.